New York City

For all of you who thought our 1st anniversary celebration of leftovers and errands wasn't romantic, don't worry, we all but made up for it with our weekend trip to NYC!!! Since Monday was holiday from work and school, we decided to get away for a weekend. I've been to New York before, but this was Caleb's first trip. We had SO SO SO SO SO much fun. We really didn't want to come back. I warn you this blog post will be long- we crammed SO much fun in 3 days.

As you are probably thinking, flights to New York are expensive. So, we took the bus! For $15, you too can ride a double decker bus with free wi-fi to New York City. Unfortunately our bus was late leaving on Friday and overbooked so we got to watch some angry New Yorkers get left behind and didn't even get to the city until about 8pm. Once we got there, we went out for a nice anniversary dinner

And then we walked around time square!

We turned in early because we had tickets to take a boat out to the Statue of Liberty first thing the next morning. Let me start by saying that DC is cold, New York is FRIGID! We are talking single digits/teens with windchills even colder. So, first thing Saturday morning standing in a line next to the water/riding on a boat was MISERABLE. Luckily, while we waited in line, we met an Aggie family. They were entertaining their kids with a trivia game- Caleb and I secretly played along. Of course there were also a set of British men who found it "ridiculous" and "ludicrous" that they were being shuffled around "like cattle." Caleb found them incredibly entertaining.

When we finally got to the island, we dashed for the indoor line. Luckily we reserved tickets in advance and got to go all the way up to the crown! First you go through a museum where you get to see the original torch

Then started the fun part. First there are about 150 regular staircase steps to remind you how out of shape you are. Then starts the winding staircase- another 200+ steps that are so steep and narrow they make you wonder if you've made a mistake going up them...

But right about the time you think you might freak out, you make it to the top. Here we are in the crown of the statue of liberty!!!

The problem is that once you get to the top, you get to walk all the way back down. My legs were like jello the rest of the time. When we got to the bottom and started figuring out the rest of our day, we realized we needed to grab food on the island and eat it fast. We got a burgers and fries and started speed walking towards the boat. We were almost there when something hit me in the face and grabbed my hand. IT WAS A SEAGULL! A BRAZEN seagull the dared to flap me in the face and attempt to grab my burger out of my hand... as I was raising it to my mouth! I was furious and kind of freaked out. Needless to say I did not eat any more of my burger and was afraid of birds the rest of the trip. Here are a few pics from the boat

We didn't have time to actually visit Ellis Island but Caleb ran off the boat while they docked so he could say he at least went there and went inside the museum. Once back, we dashed over for Caleb to be able to see Ground Zero. It has changed so much since I was last there. I went with my youth group in 2003 when it was still just a hole in the ground with flowers and pictures and letters against the grate. Now there are cranes and the beginnings of new buildings. After Ground Zero, we walked down to Wall Street.

That night we went to a restaurant called Buddakan. My friend Lindsay used to work there AND a chef from my favorite tv show Top Chef, Dale, works there as the chef. The food was FANTASTIC- seriously the best food either one of us has maybe ever eaten. PLUS, they brought out Dale and I got to meet him. He was soooooo nice. AND, to top it off, Kelly Ripa sat across the room from us. How much cooler could that place have been? It was awesome!! After dinner we walked around Chelsea Market before heading in for the night.

Sunday we slept in which was SO nice. When we woke up we wandered around Time Square a bit and found...

Then came the main event. We got on the subway and headed to the bronx...

After our tour of Yankee Stadium, which by the way our tour consisted of all loud, obnxious locals..... and us..... we were like true New Yorkers and ate pizza in a hole in the wall place in the Bronx. Delicious. After that we headed back and made a stop at the Museum of Natual History. It was PACKED- I've never seen so many people in a museum.

Sunday night we went to see the Lion King. When I was little my dad took me to see the tour of it in Dallas and I remember it being one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I was hoping Caleb would like it as well. It was great, better than I remember it when I was a kid. Caleb liked it to!

After the show we ate at Stardust diner, where all the people who haven't quite made their big break on broadway yet work. They sing to you while you eat. After that we wandered around Times Square for awhile and had a blast!

Then we made a detour over to Rockefeller Center

Monday was our last half day. We got up early and headed to the Empire State building. At first we were just going up to the 86th floor but then decided to go on up to the 102.

Unfortunately that was the end of our New York adventure. We had to catch a bus back to DC, to the snow and sleet, to work and to school - reality. Although neither one of us wanted to come back, we feel so refreshed. Sometimes you just need to get away for awhile. Plus, I can't think of a better way to celebrate our 1st anniversary. Traveling and adventures are something I love, and to be able to share those passions with Caleb- I can't think of anything better. As we drive out of NYC, we said that it may be 5-10 years before we get to do anything as fun/cool as this trip, but that gives us 5-10 years to plan something really amazing!

Spring Classes

Well, school is officially back in session. I’m not totally sure how I feel about that. I am taking another full load… which I’m sure will be a challenge with working full time. Monday nights I only have 1 class- Geopolitics of Eurasian Energy. I’m SUPER excited about this class, but when I told my mom its title she just laughed at me. Oh well, I think its interesting. The weirdest part of that class was that they changed the location. GW’s campus stretches pretty much from E to H, and the metro is on I. They changed the location to 2020 K street. Which I thought was bizarre. Sure enough, as I was running through town in the freezing cold, once I got to 2020 K street, I found myself starting at a Fedex/Kinkos. Weird. I circled the block twice before I noticed a very small glass door to the far right of the FedEx. The sign on it was almost unreadable, but it said “GW University.” So no, I do not have class in a Fedex/Kinkos, but I do have class right beneath it. Other than that I LOVE the class. The professor is very laid back and most interested in covering what we want to learn about AND most of the other students are really interested in Central Asian/Caucasus energy so I am SUPER pumped!


Tuesday, class was not quite the positive experience Monday was. Tuesday I work all day and then have 2 back-to-back classes until 9pm. Gross! My first class is Transnational Security which I was extremely interested in. The professor came in and immediately announced that the class will have a massive reading load and that he is completely uninterested in current events or practical matters. He is a political scientist, so we will be looking at transnational security from an empirical and political scientist background. Awesome. To top it off, he’s a monotone and totally rambles on and on in circles. He kept us the entire 2 hours the first day and all we talked about was the syllabus….. When we walked out this girl who I actually find to be quite dull and boring herself turned to me and said “I seriously felt like jumping out the window because I was so bored”- Very ironic, but true!

I’m not exactly sure what I was thinking scheduling 2 classes back to back, and not in the same building, but I figured running across campus couldn’t be bad for me? What I didn’t take into consideration, is that when my class ended and I rushed outside, it was POURING snow. Not only did this make me extremely wet and slow down my progress, but it was SLICK! I almost totally bit it several times. I’m going to have to strategize a new plan for next week because I looked like a complete wet, out-of-breath mess when I burst into my Survey of International Trade and Finance (the nice title for saying Economics) late.

At this point you are probably asking yourself- why in the world is Stephanie taking economics. Good question- not by choice. It’s a required class, so I’m sucking it up, crossing my fingers and saying a few prayers. The good news is that my professor is actually pretty encouraging. She’s young and flat out told us that she knows we aren’t taking the class by choice- so we’ll have “fun” with it. During our intro lesson we had to decide on 2 items that our fictitious country would produce and consume, but they had to start with S and T. She told us to be careful because these 2 items are what we will produce/consume for the entire semester, so choose wisely- right about the time I thought to myself, tomatoes and sock…. Tape and superglue…. Etc. Tequila and Scotch got thrown out there. Awesome. All I can say is Tuesday nights from 7-9 is going to make for LONG nights. So from now on, Tuesday evenings, when you are lounging on your couch in your pajamas, watching TV and eating your dinner, you can think of me running across campus in the snow, trying not to kill myself and destroying my brain trying to comprehend economics.

Tonight was my 4th and final class. The good news about this one is that it is a 1 credit professional course and will be over in 6 weeks. I am taking Alternative Analysis- Red Team. If you are asking yourself what in the world is that- you are not alone. Basically, its the new rave since 9/11 and the goal is analyzing intelligence failures and determining new methodologies and ways to analyze intelligence in order to prevent such failures in the future. Essentially it is learning to think and analyze differently which is pretty intriguing. Plus my friend Lindsay is in that class, so at least it will be fun!
 
Well its late and tomorrow I have to work until 7pm. I am really regretting getting suckered into the "staying late" shift on Thursdays and Fridays. BUT, I guess that happens when you are low man on the totem poll. Man am I ready to work my way up....

Sometimes I just don't understand DC...

I really don't have much to say about this. Just follow the link and read the story. I'm not sure what DC is coming to. First the Drag Queen Race in the fall and now this?!?! What's next? All I can say is:

Yes... this is where I live. And no... I did not participate...

http://www.nbcwashington.com/around-town/events/No-Pants-Party-on-Metro-113176344.html

You and I ~ First Anniversary

Today is our First Anniversary! I can't believe it has been one whole year! So much has happened and it seems like our wedding day was just yesterday. I was talking to my mom and she said she felt like she was just now starting to feel completely recovered from the wedding, and I completely agree with her.

For our anniversary, we went to church this morning, took the dog to the vet, cleaned the apartment, and ate leftovers. It was very romantic. : ) Don't worry, we have something more fun planned as our celebration, check back in a few days!!!

So for our anniversary, I will post some of my favorite pics from our wedding day!

Yes... our wedding party was huge... we know...

This may be my all-time favorite picture. How precious is she!?!

Looking back through all of our pictures made me laugh thinking of all of the funny things that happened that day. In most of the pictures everyone is laughing - which doesn't make for great pictures - but it makes me so happy to know that our wedding day was so fun and full of laughter. Whether it be family members having the wrong schedule, Caleb's brother Josh's pants being WAY too long, half of my front tooth chipping off, the band not knowing the Aggie War Hymn, me overthrowing my bouquet, the hooker music they played when Caleb took off my garter, discovering during the most solemn, serious song of our wedding ceremony that they misprinted our unity candle and it saying that I am married to someone named CalAb.... and so many other fun things... our wedding day was wild. Usually for someone who is a complete perfectionist this would have been disasterous, but looking back, I wouldn't have wanted it to be any other way. It was perfect.

It has been a fantastic one year of marriage and I can't wait to see what the next year has in store for us!!!

Triumph and Tragedy

Well... we have survived our first week back in DC! Law school is in full swing and I worked almost 50 hours this week. I don't know what it's going to be like next week when I add school into the mix. But let's not worry about next week, let's talk about this week!

I LOVE MY JOB!!!! It's SUPER hard, but most days I find myself wondering if this is really my life or if I'm dreaming. I get to see/meet all sorts of cool people and have some pretty crazy responsibilities. At first I was pretty hesitant about working 8-10 hours everyday, but the time just flies! The office has such a fast pace that usually the first time I look at the clock it is already 3 and I'm lucky if I have enough time to warm up my lunch in the microwave and eat at my desk while I keep working. If you know me, you know I LOVE to be busy, so this is a great atmosphere for me.

When I walked into work on Friday I knew it was going to be a wild day because several key people were out sick and Fridays are just wild in general. I was right! By 11 o'clock a security guard caught me literally running down the hall and told me to relax haha. I found myself constantly running in the office, running through the building, and even running across DC! I'm not sure I'm allowed to say exactly why, but at one point I had 45 minutes to get from my office, across town to the State Department, up to Hillary Clinton's office, and back in 45 minutes. Don't worry, mission accomplished! Although I was in such a rush that it wasn't until I was sitting in the cab on the way back that I asked myself, did that really just happen? Was I really just in the Secretary of the State Department's office?!?! Crazy. I love it! Plus I've got to be burning thousands of calories at my current rate of running around in high heels.

On the other end of the spectrum, our little family has had a pretty rough week. The bowl games were not nice to our teams this week. Caleb is still devastated about Arkansas losing at the end, so we won't say too much about that. I will mention that he has a scratch on his hand where he jumped up and slammed his fist into our ceiling.... We'll leave it at that. I kind of saw A&M's loss coming... we're TERRIBLE at bowl games. Although I thought it was a mean way to tease me by playing so awesome the first 10 minutes and then playing terrible for the rest of the day. O well. Now that we're past that.... BRING ON BASKETBALL SEASON!!!! I'm so ready for March Madness, it is not even funny. But at the rate that each day is flying by, March will be here before we know it.

Scarlett is doing great. I think she is bummed she has to spend most of the day by herself. But she LOVES the new grass that Santa brought her to go potty on out on the balcony. Her fur is a little long and scraggly and we had one poop incident this week. Luckily I deal with doggie throw-up and pee incidents and Caleb is mr. poop. His way of handling the incident was interesting... I'll spare you the detail but let's just say Scarlett is missing quite a bit of fur on her backside now....

Well that's about it for this week. I better start cleaning the apartment and doing laundry!

Advice

As part of my resolution to blog more often, I want to make it more interactive! Sometimes I feel like I'm writing for nobody, but my stats say people are reading.... SO, now instead of reading in anonymity, I am asking for feedback! Leave comments, they'll make my day!

Let's start with an easy interactive blog post. I need advice...

I LOVE my new job, but it is pretty stressful. I spent 6 hours yesterday working to get one of my boss's blackberry fixed yesterday. Apparently it didn't work and when they walked in this morning, they literally threw it at me. Awesome. Everything is so fast paced that there wasn't really a training period or guide. It's trial by fire, which is intense. For the most part, people are generally willing to be nice and work with me since I'm new. But, there is one co-worker who is just REALLY mean to me! I will keep their identity private, but for the purpose of this blog let's call them Jane.

I think Jane hates me, and I'm not really sure why. One of the reasons they brought me in was to relieve Jane's workload. Jane refuses to help me and then gets mad when I make mistakes. She refuses to respond to my emails and then gets mad when I go ask her the question in person. She "never has time" for me despite the fact that often she is the only person who can help me with whatever task I have. To top it off, she calls me things like "sweetheart" and "honey," which just grates me to my very core.

The 2 weeks I worked before Christmas I just let it go and decided the stress of the holiday season was making Jane particularly grumpy. I've been back 2 days now and by lunch I usually just want to cry. I am KILLING myself to work as hard as I can and do everything as well as I can... I even clean off Jane's lunch plate, run her coffee mug through the dishwasher and dry it by hand, I always answer the phone for her, gosh I even gave up meeting Hillary Clinton so she could go instead! I don't know what else to do!

I've tried the "kill her with kindness" technique and its getting me nowhere. Technically, even though we are the same age, she is my superior so I can't exactly be mean back... Everyone else in the office LOVES Jane, so I can't exactly ask a co-worker for advice. I'm stuck. All I know is that I need some serious advice of what to do, because eventually something is going to give and I'll either make a fool out of myself crying at my desk or I'll get mad and my temper will do/say something that I'll regret later...

So... for all my blog readers out there... what should I do? (for my non-technology savvy people, click on "comments" at the bottom of this post and you can type your response)

2011 Resolutions

Well... we're back in DC! 1400 miles, two days worth of driving, and one night in a shady Knoxville hotel and we made it back Sunday night- just enough time to unpack, go to bed, and the cycle starts over again! Caleb had his first day back to law school today and I'm back to work (school starts for me next week).

During our LONG drive back, I had lots of time to think about my new year resolutions for 2011. Here are just a few of what I've come up with:

1.) Blog more frequently!

2.) Get out of the country! At least once! (check back later, I'm currently working on offers to go to Turkey or Georgia - the country, not the state.)

3.) Do more DC stuff- go to sports games, visit museums, get out of the apartment!

I've got a few more resolutions up my sleeve... but we'll just have to see how those turn out in 2011!